Mortgage & Commercial Lending News.

The 'fix and flip' investment strategy is one of several available to real estate investors. While some consider it to be relatively straightforward, it has its complexities as any other business endeavor. If executed poorly, it can lead to much lower returns than expected. In a competitive market where there is a shortage of houses to flip, workers and materials, flipping houses can become more difficult than usual. In this economic environment, investing in a distressed property that meets all the characteristics needed for high returns becomes essential. Furthermore, if you are new to fix and flipping, or if you already have done several, it is good to remember that seeking the help of professionals can make the entire process efficient and beneficial.

We had the nicest phone call a few weeks ago, and it made our day. A client who had just paid off his mortgage, after many years of having a loan with us, called to express his appreciation for the trust we placed on him (and the loan we gave him back then) and the excellent service we provided after having struggled, unsuccessfully, for years to get a mortgage for his Church. 

It just goes to prove once more what a friend once told us: that AMI Lenders is in the “hope business.” We give hope to borrowers that feel they have no hope. Another way to say it is: “here at AMI Lenders, we offer non-traditional alternative loan products.” Many of our clients cannot qualify for a bank loan or a loan from a traditional mortgage company. We not only help people, but we also go out of our way to be helpful. You would be surprised to know how much advice we provide to our applicants. 

The past two years have led to a new economic reality in the US: the evolving, work-related lifestyle in the post-pandemic economy—one where work is all about flexible hours and can be done away from the office, be it from home, the vicinity of your home (a coffeehouse, maybe?) or elsewhere! Employees have more flexibility on their hands regarding their working habits than they ever anticipated. They have been finding ways to spend this newly acquired flexibility for their benefit and for the use of their employers through increased productivity levels. An aspect that has attracted attention recently is that the option of "working from home" has allowed individuals to enjoy fresh air and quality time with friends and family in vacation-like settings without utilizing their vacation days. A new standard option for people who can work from home is spending time in what used to be considered "a vacation home," whether it be on the outskirts of town, at the beach, by a lake, or in a scenic area. You can come into work on time without ever having to commute, and as soon as your workday is over, you are in a "vacation setting." As to how this new trend impacts real estate, there seems to be a booming market as "vacation home" sales (or sale of houses in what we're up to a few years ago considered "vacation towns") continue to grow.

Our good friends at Moody Rambin recently posted a concise and exciting set of regional economic data entitled "Houston's Economy at a Glance."[1]. Reading their blog set us thinking about letting our faithful readers know what the near-future economy might look like in the Houston area. So without any further delays, we present some interesting information that might help you in your future business and real estate investment plans (we reproduce some information we borrowed from the cited article).

Covid-19 has had a significant impact on the global economy and, closer to home, on the Commercial Real Estate industry. Companies that carry on business in commercial real estate premises have had to make many changes due to the lockdowns and instructions to stay at home. This has led to companies digitizing their operations, conducting operations online, ensuring the health and safety of employees, and protecting their employees' financial health. 

It would be nice to have a crystal ball here at AMI Lenders to predict the future, but sadly we don't. In any case, given that the hot housing market is very much in the news these days, we would like to help you decide whether the time is right for you to invest in the real estate market in the next 12 to 18 months (we are writing this blog in early September 2021). So, with all the caveats in place and all the legal disclaimers that we are not fortune tellers, the following are some informed predictions about what you might expect to see in the next year and a half in the residential property market. Spoiler: now is the time to invest in residential property.

Whether you're a first-time buyer with no experience in real estate transactions, no experience obtaining a mortgage to purchase a property, or you are an expert looking into buying in a hot market; you'll want to know all about the Appraisal Gap. 

Most think of "hard money lenders" as risk-takers, loan sharks, high-interest-rate lenders, lenders that require no documentation, and/or lenders who lend only to individuals with bad credit.

Lumber has been in the headlines for some time now as we see its prices skyrocketing. Suppose you were thinking of starting construction in your new home or developing one for sale. In that case, you can't ignore the surge in lumber prices brought about by complex macroeconomic forces which were unduly complicated by the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, demand for lumber has exploded in the past year, and lumberyards and suppliers have struggled to keep up with demand.

With how trending Flip and Fix investments have become, it is no surprise more people want to get in on the opportunity. To get a loan for such investments, one needs to have the eligible FICO score. Many potential investors do not understand just how the FICO score works, how it is obtained, and how it can affect their ability to get a loan. Therefore, AMI Lenders has put all the information you need to know about FICO scores in this blog.